1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device which receives and decodes digital broadcasts, and in particular, to processing performed when undecoded video data and audio data are input from an external recording/playback device.
It also relates to a device which records and plays back video signals and audio signals coded using a high performance technique such as that of MPEG (Moving Picture Image Coding Experts Group), and in particular, to a technique whereby identifying data is added showing a discontinuity or speed change playback mode of a playback program.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, in the U.S.A. and Europe, systems have become generalized where high performance coding techniques such as developed by MPEG (Moving Picture Image Coding Expert Group) are applied to the coding of video signals and audio signals, which are then transmitted via a communications satellite and decoded on the receiving side.
In these systems, a special receiver/demodulator is required on the receiving side. This receiver comprises a part which selects a transport stream corresponding to a desired channel from a transport stream in which the data from a plurality of channels is multiplexed, a part which separates desired program video and audio data from the desired channel transport stream, and a part which decodes the separated video and audio data.
In these systems, to make it possible for the receiver/decoder to receive the desired channel transport stream and separate the desired program video and audio data, PSI (Program Specific Information), EPG (Electronic Program Guide) or SI (Service Information) is added to the multiplexed transport stream.
Video tape recorders (referred to hereafter as DVCR) which encode video and audio signals before recording or playing them back, have been proposed. The concept has also been proposed of recording/playing back this digital broadcast video data and audio data on such a DVCR without decoding them ("Digital Video Reader, illust.", pp. 140-152, Ohm Co., Aug. 25, 1995, ed. by Yukio Kubota).